HIgh voltage laboratory

The laboratories at Blaklia will include the third high voltage laboratory at SINTEF Energy Research. The first stood on the site where Electric Engineering building ELA-F and glass-covered yard between ELA and our office block now stands.

The first laboratory was built in 1959 and officially opened in 1960

At the inauguration of the first laboratory in 1960 both King Olav and Crown Prince Harald participated. Photo: SINTEF Energy Research

In 1984, this laboratory was demolished to make room for extensions of the Department of Electrical Engineering buildings - the current ELA complex. — In 1984, this laboratory was demolished to make room for extensions of the Department of Electrical Engineering buildings – the current ELA complex. Photo: SINTEF Energy Research

The second laboratory – finished in 1986

The Government as owner of the university built the high voltage laboratory in the Electrical Engineering buildings (ELA) as a replacement for the one torn down and gave us ‘exclusive user right’ to this. Together with NTNU, we have for almost 30 years used both this and the other laboratories in ELA, in a good and close, but eventually far too congested cooperation.

In October 1986 the Norwegian Crown Prince and Crown Princess visited SINTEF and NTNU. The visit included a tour in the ELA complex. Photo: SINTEF/Harald Danielsen.

More space – could we get to the third?

The need for more space, easier access for large test objects and HSE challenges of running a heavy laboratory at Gløshaugen did that we in 2010 looked around after possible extensions off campus.

In 2010 Statnett moved out of their office at the substation on Blaklia and this gave us an opportunity to build close to a strong point in the power network. Statnett also found this to be in their interest and in January 2011 Statnett and SINTEF Energy Research signed a memorandum of understanding, after which we bought the site in 2013, demolished the old office building and in February 2014 we started building a new energy laboratory on the site.

Our third high voltage laboratory on Blaklia opens in September 2015. You can read more about it here.

Pictures from our laboratories